Rubber oversupply causes price slump in Laos
As rubber plantations mature and the trees are ready to be tapped, Lao growers stand to face a substantial loss amid a slump in the rubber price on the world market.
A respected Lao researcher says poor assessment of the market prior to planting the trees has landed rubber growers in the sticky situation they now find themselves. Speaking to Vientiane Times last week, a senior analyst in the agriculture and forestry sector, Dr Palikone Thalongsengchanh, said the drop in price will have a lesser impact on companies and investors who planted a large number of rubber trees as they operate with a view to the long term.
